A New Bond
by fictionslayer
Summary: What will happen when Nora, youngest of the twelve princesses of Faelentown, the girl who was "born wrong" according to her own parents, is kicked out onto the streets and ends up at Queen Elsa's castle in Arendelle? (Elsa/OC)
1. Chapter 1

The royal family of Faerentown were respected and admired by their people, but few knew what went on behind those golden doors.

The king and queen had failed to produce a son, and instead had twelve daughters, the oldest of which were twins, and the youngest who had been born wrong. They'd kept her locked up in her early years, until they announced that she had been trained to behave semi-normally in the presence of others.

Her family saw that she was clearly dumb; never speaking or playing, only eating what was in front of her and staying still and watching her sisters as they uneasily tried to act like she was invisible.

When the king and queen mysteriously died the same day and the twins took over the throne, they grew suspicious of all their younger siblings.

"We should definitely get rid of the creep," said one of the twins, and just like that, their youngest sister was cast out of her unloving home with nothing but a pair of boots and a cloak on her back.

* * *

Nora hadn't done much walking in her life, but when she found herself thrust out of the castle one morning, she tried her best to make her way to something better, to some sort of freedom that had only existed in her dreams. The freedom that had existed only in the sanctuary of her thoughts where no one could see it. She didn't make it very far, however, before she collapsed from exhaustion.

Nora lay by the side of the road for a while as passerby sped past, occasionally dropping a coin or two on her. She had no concept of money, though, and felt each coin as drops of shame that she was a creature worth nothing. until a kind man with a sled halted his reindeer to ask her if she needed a lift.

Nora looked up in surprise. No one had ever directed their speech to her before. At least, not for a long, long time. She opened her mouth and spoke for the first time, "Yes, please." She got up and climbed onto his sleigh, being careful to keep a distance between them.

"Where to?" asked the man. "Far away," she said. "Far, far away."

"Well I'm going to Arendelle; is that far enough for you?"

"Yes," said Nora, having no idea what Arendelle was. "Yes it is."

* * *

"Here you go, miss," said the man, jolting Nora awake.

"Thank.. thank you," she said. Another first. She had practiced that one by herself, only dreaming that one day she'd have an opportunity to say it.

"I'm sorry, what was that?" said the man.

Nora concentrated on the shape of her tongue. "Thank you," she tried again.

"Ah, you're welcome. Have you got a place to go to here?"

Nora looked around in confusion.

"I mean, it's cold outside. I wouldn't want you to freeze. But if you haven't got anywhere, the queen is very kind here and since I know her she'd probably take you in for the night, at least."

The Queen? There was another royal family here? But the man said they were kind. What was kind? Was that what she had left behind? Her heartrate and breathing were speeding up as she began to panic that she had not escaped after all.

"Hey, are you alright? I'll take you to queen Elsa. She'll take care of you, you'll be okay. Come on, Sven." They sped off again in the snow as Nora waited to see where her path was taking her.


	2. Chapter 2

"...and having a husband wouldn't mean he was the king like I mean he would be the king, but he wouldn't be in charge of anything," Anna was saying. Elsa sighed. Anna had been going on about how she should look for 'the one' all week, ever since a commoner had mentioned to her that every good queen needs a king. "Or I mean, at least not unless you wanted him to," Anna continued. "And I'm not saying the people won't follow you as a single queen or anything, it's just that... you seem so alone all the time. I mean I'm here, and Kristoff's here-"

"How are things with you and Kristoff?" Elsa interjected, happy to change the subject away from her nonexistent love life. She didn't even know if she wanted to let someone in like that.

Anna blushed and was left in startled silence for a moment, before she answered, "Oh you know, it's good. We're just friends. I mean, I don't know, maybe I kinda like him but I don't know if he likes me back. I mean how do you even tell if a guy likes you?"

"I wouldn't know," said Elsa quietly, distracted by the window.

"Well maybe you could learn how," began Anna, plotting how to make her way back to her previous topic.

"Kristoff is outside!" said Elsa suddenly. "He has someone with him. A child?"

Anna ran to the window. "He looks worried."

"How can you tell from here? We're so far away."

"You can tell by the way he's hunching his shoulders forward," said Anna, leaving the window and running to the main entrance, with Elsa not far behind.

* * *

Kristoff was looking a little off as he walked in the door with a small figure. "Oh hi Anna, hi..." He still seemed a little uneasy around Elsa. Everyone did. She gave him a small smile.

"Kristoff! So good to see you. What brings you and your companion here?" said Elsa, hoping to distill any fears he might have about her. However he still mainly addressed Anna when he spoke.

"I was on my way here to drop off some things, when I found her by the side of the road needing a ride. I told her Queen Elsa could help her out for the night since she didn't have anywhere to go."

The girl had a hood up, obscuring her face. There was an awkward silence as Elsa mentally panicked over what to do. Why had he brought this girl to her? From her size she looked to be only about ten or twelve. What was Elsa supposed to do? How did he expect her to know how to deal with a child? She barely even knew how to talk to her own sister.

"Oh, um, hello," she said to the girl. "Well I'm Elsa; who are you?" There was a short pause. "Can you tell me your name?"

The girl shifted a bit, then looked up at Elsa, who felt as though she was being pierced through by the girl's intense blue eyes, which held a lot more age than what Elsa was expecting.

"I am Nora," she said, her face a mask of no emotion.

"Well, you are welcome here, Nora," said Elsa uncertainly, glancing at Anna for guidance, but Anna seemed to be waiting to see what Elsa was going to do.

"If you would like, we can set you up in a room for the night, and give you some food as well."

"Yes," said Nora.

Elsa looked up at Anna one more time before awkwardly turning and leading the way to one of their many guest rooms. Along the way, she asked some servants to get some warm food and drink for their guest and help set up the room, which hadn't been used in over a decade.

Elsa had expected the girl to be fascinated by the enormity of the palace, but she did not seem interested or impressed at all. She realized suddenly that Anna and Kristoff were no longer with her, and repressed a sigh.

"So Nora, where do you come from?"

"Faelentown."

"Oh. That's... not too far from here, right?"

Nora did not answer.

"Can I ask how old you are?" tried Elsa.

At first, she didn't think Nora was going to answer that either, then she said, "Nineteen."

Elsa looked over at her, startled. That was much older than she had thought. The girl was only two years younger than herself.

They arrived at the room, and Elsa walked in, glancing back to make sure Nora was still following her. She sat down in one of the chairs as two servants made the bed and another began to set the table. Nora, however, did not sit in one of the chairs and instead stood in the corner of the room closest to Elsa. Elsa turned her chair slightly so she was facing Nora.

"So Nora, tell me about yourself. What brings you to Arendelle?"

"It is far," said Nora.

"Far from where?" asked Elsa.

"Far from Faelentown."

"Did something happen there?"

"I lived there."

It was getting more difficult for Elsa to understand Nora's speech, and she wondered if she was upsetting the girl.

"Nora," she said hesitantly, "are you alright?"

"I... I do not understand," said Nora, attempting to back up further into the corner.

Elsa bit her lip. She didn't want to upset Nora further. "If there is anything you need, just let me or one of the servants know. I'll see you tomorrow." She got up and waited for a response. There was none, so she walked out of the room to her own chambers, wondering what the next day would bring.


	3. Chapter 3

The food was a little better than what Nora was used to, but she did not have much of an appetite. She ate only a few bites, then went to the bed. She slept surprisingly well that night, better than she had in months.

When she woke up the next morning, she slipped her boots back on and wandered out into the hallway.

"Excuse me miss," said a maid passing by. "They are waiting for you in the breakfast room."

Waiting for her? That was a first. If only she knew where the breakfast room was.

The maid seemed to understand her awkward silence. "I'll lead you there if you like, miss," she said.

"Yes," said Nora. This was good. This was much better than home. Or at least, she hoped it was. Something deep inside her told her this was too good to be true. Like when she'd first come out of that locked room to join her sisters, thinking that finally she could experience the outside world that had always been described as so great. Then realizing that the world was not for her.

The maid stopped and opened the door for Nora, gesturing for her to enter. Nora hesitated, then told herself to be brave and stepped through. Three people were seated at a long table with room for at least twenty people, and on the table was a miniature feast.

"Nora! So glad you could join us," said the blonde girl. "Here, come take a seat by me."

Elsa and that man who had taken Nora to Arendelle were sitting on the other side of the table. Nora sat down across from Elsa.

"We weren't sure what you would like so we just sort of got everything," said the blonde girl.

Nora looked around in wonder. She'd had access to good food before, but never this much at one time. Directly in front of her was a plate of freshly baked chocolate chip cookies. She took one and bit into it. Still warm.

The others at the table had clearly already finished eating. There was an awkward silence as they stared into space. Nora could see that they were uncomfortable, but she did not know what to say. Never before had a conversation depended on her like this.

Suddenly, several things happened at once. Elsa twirled a finger toward the ceiling, creating an ice chandelier above them, Nora let out a strangled yelp and jumped back, falling off her chair in surprise, and everything on the table froze with a layer of frost on it.

"Oh my gosh! I'm so sorry – are you alright?" said Elsa, half standing up as Nora backed away further, shaking and trying not to cry.

"Nora," said the blonde girl. "It's okay. Elsa's not going to hurt you."

"I don't – I haven't lost control like that in a long time. I don't know what happened," said Elsa, looking at all the frozen food. "You didn't get hurt, did you?"

Nora didn't know how to respond. She felt like everything was getting out of control, overwhelming her. She put her arms up over her face and hoped that they would all leave, that it would all disappear. She heard footsteps walking away, and after a few minutes of silence, she lowered her arms. Elsa was sitting beside her.

"Hey, are you okay?" asked Elsa. "I promise I won't hurt you." Nora could see tears lining the bottoms of Elsa's eyes, and that was the last straw. Her own tears spilled over and she wrapped her arms around herself as if she was trying not to fall apart. Another first in a long time, and it didn't look like she could stop.


	4. Chapter 4

Elsa could feel a tear of her own trickling down her face as she watched Nora cry. Great; just what she needed. She had no idea what to do about a crying girl. The most obvious thing to do would be to wrap her arms around her and tell her it would be okay, but after what had happened with the food at the breakfast table, she didn't want to risk touching anyone. And to tell her it would be okay – what was 'it'? She didn't even know why the girl was so upset.

After a little while, Nora looked up at Elsa again. She seemed to have relaxed a little bit, but still looked cautious. "Your magic..." She sighed.

"My powers?" asked Elsa.

"Your powers... are not bad?"

"No," said Elsa. "It's not the powers that make a bad person, it's the person. I only use my powers for good."

Nora seemed to think this over.

"Are you still afraid?" asked Elsa.

"I am not afraid," said Nora. "Not anymore."

Elsa sensed that there was a deeper meaning behind what she was saying. "I can make a snowball for you," she said. "Do you want to see?"

"Yes," said Nora, her eyes widening.

Elsa waved her fingers around each other, creating a medium-sized snowball between her hands. "Here," she said, placing it in Nora's hands.

Nora gasped and almost dropped the snowball. "It's... cold," she said.

"It's real snow," said Elsa. Hadn't Nora seen winter before? "Do you have winter in Faelentown?" she asked.

"Yes," said Nora, rubbing her hands around the snowball. At this rate, it was going to melt soon and drip all over her. Elsa considered taking it back, but this was the first time she had seen Nora really express an interest in something.

"Did you like to play in the snow when you were growing up?" asked Elsa.

"The snow was outside," said Nora. "I was inside. The snow didn't come inside."

Elsa thought back to her childhood for a moment, and realized that Nora's story sounded very familiar. "I didn't go outside either," she said softly. "But that was because I was worried about losing control of my-" Suddenly, she noticed that the snowball she had handed to Nora was now throwing rainbows around the room. It had become a ball of ice, not clear but faceted like a jewel. Things started to click into place. "Nora, do you have... ice powers?"

Nora dropped the ice and it shattered all over the floor.

"It's okay," said Elsa. "They're not evil. And the people here know that. No one's going to hurt you."

There was another pause, and Nora looked up at the ice chandelier above the table. Elsa noticed a faint scar on her jaw. "My father said that I was born wrong," she said, "and that it was my fault, and that I almost killed my mother."

"Oh, no, Nora," said Elsa. "This isn't something you can control. Did your father... hurt you?" She wondered if this was being too invasive.

"It always hurts," said Nora. "But I learned to block off the ice. Then I got to go outside and see my sisters. I learned from them."

"Did your sisters teach you outdoors?"

"No. I did not go outdoors. I watched them. And I practiced my words on my own."

"Do you know how to read?"

"What is that?"

"It's okay, I can teach you. But what happened to make you leave your home?"

"My oldest sisters took over when my parents died, and they made me leave. I think they were afraid I would try to steal the throne. But they also thought I did not have words or thought."

"That's... wait. The throne?"

"I guess now I am twelfth in line for the throne. But I do not want it. It is not a happy place."

Elsa stared in wonder at this girl, who knew so much and had so many thoughts for someone who hadn't been taught anything at all, except that there was something wrong with her and it was her fault. How could she have done it? Was she telling the truth?

"Elsa," Nora carefully said the queen's name for the first time, "you will not tell... of me?"

"If you don't want me to, then no," said Elsa, wondering if she would regret that promise. She considered adding something about how she didn't know yet if she could trust Nora, but it didn't sound like the girl had anyone else to trust her, and she had trusted Elsa this far, telling her things... if they were true, that is.

Elsa looked around the room, at the thawing food on the table. The servants were clearly waiting for them to leave before beginning to clean, to give them some privacy. She also noticed that Nora was still wearing what she'd had on the day before. "Would you like some new clothes?" she asked. "We can wash what you have on right now, as well." She wondered if Nora had ever had any other clothes. They were pretty ratty and a little small on her.

"Thank... thank you," she said, clearly not expecting this generosity. However, it didn't take long for her to grasp the new concept. "And I was wondering... could I bathe?"

"Of course!" said Elsa, surprised. Had she not been allowed to bathe at her old home. "Take as much time as you need, and then you can ask the servants to find me later if you wish, and I can show you around the castle."

Nora smiled slowly. Elsa stood up and offered a hand to help Nora up before remembering that it could be risky. Nora also hesitated before carefully taking Elsa's hand. Elsa held her breath for a moment, but nothing happened.

"Your hand is warm," said Nora. Well, that was a first.

"So is yours," said Elsa, and she led her out to find her some clothes.


	5. Chapter 5

Nora carried her stack of clothes into the large bathroom that was attached to her room. A servant had already filled the tub with water that was just the right temperature. Nora dipped a toe in. She hadn't been allowed near pools of water before. Her father had told the servants it was because she might drown, but the truth was that he thought it would be too tempting for her to use her 'evil' powers. And perhaps it would have been uncontrollable. After so many years of uncomfortable, cold sponge baths it was a luxury to be able to sink into a tub of warm water, with the control to keep it from freezing.

As Nora slid into the water up to her chin, she wondered how people washed their hair without running water. After a bit of struggling, she managed to get mostly clean. The water was starting to cool off a lot sooner than she would have liked, and although she didn't mind the cold, it had become a habit of hers to avoid it. For so many years her only slice of freedom had come at the price of cutting off part of herself. So quickly she was beginning to accept that part of herself that she'd kept hidden for so long. And she was still hiding, but now someone knew. Someone knew and they hadn't shut her out or told her to stop.

Nora got out of the bath and dried off. Once she had put on the clothes Elsa had found for her (a little big, but still very comfortable), she wandered around the castle a bit. There were servants around, but she didn't want to ask them where Elsa was. She wanted to do a little exploring on her own first, and no one was stopping her.

It wasn't long before she heard the sound of Elsa's voice not far up a head. She paused by the door to make sure she wasn't interrupting anything.

"I just think you should give him a chance," Anna was saying. "Everyone thinks that you're not interested in a husband, and people aren't even trying anymore. If you at least give him a chance, even if you turn him down, all the other young men will be at your door and then you'll be sure to find the one."

"But what makes you so sure that I am interested in a husband?" asked Elsa, sounding distant.

"Are you not? Would you rather spend your life alone? I mean, I'm here, but one day I might move out with... I might move out. I don't really know."

"I understand. You want to live your own life."

"But then if you don't get married and don't have heirs I guess..."

"We don't need to think that far ahead yet."

"I just can't see you not getting married ever," said Anna. "I know you don't really like being alone."

"I'm not alone, Anna! I am perfectly fine on my own here, although there's more than enough room for you and Kristoff to stay here and have your own space."

"True," said Anna, nodding. "But he likes to be up in the mountains. You know, you could come too and live in your ice palace. It seems like it'd get a bit cold though."

"The cold doesn't bother me."

"Really, it doesn't? What about the cold inside of you?"

There was a moment of silence.

"I'm sorry, that was mean," said Anna.

"No it's okay, I understand you just want me to be happy. But let it rest. I'll find someone when I find someone, if I find someone."

"You'll... okay. But don't think I'm going to let it rest. I'll keep looking for the one for you."

Elsa sighed. "I'm going to go see how Nora's doing," she said.

Nora quickly backed up from the door as it opened and Elsa stepped out. "Oh, hello," said Elsa, not appearing angry at Nora for possibly eavesdropping on her. "How was your bath?"

"It was nice," said Nora, wondering if this was a topic that was socially acceptable to talk about in public.

"Would you like a tour now?"

"Yes thank you," said Nora. The spoken language was becoming much easier for her to manage now, as if she had been born for it. Of course, she had been born for it, she remembered. She just hadn't grown up with it as much as the others...

"So I guess you heard my conversation with Anna," said Elsa quietly as they walked down the hallway. Nora looked up quickly, but she still did not appear angry.

"I heard the end of it, yes," said Nora.

"What do you think? Do you have plans of getting married?"

"I... I never thought that far before," the question had surprised Nora. It had never even occurred to her before.

"Did you ever get lonely when you were growing up?" asked Elsa.

"I did not know to be lonely," said Nora after some thought. "I was always by myself. I used to watch my sisters and that was my only entertainment. At night I would sit in my room and practice speaking to myself, pretending to be like them."

"You wanted to be like your sisters?"

"My father always told me I should try to be like them."

"What about your mother?"

"She wouldn't look at me."

"I'm sorry, Nora..."

"They're gone now."

"Mine are, too."

Nora looked up in surprise. "What happened?"

"They were on a ship, and there was a storm. We never heard from them again. What happened to yours?"

"It was probably my sisters. They wanted the throne."

"So they killed their own parents?"

"They weren't close, like you and Anna are. None of us were close." Nora laughed. "Of course, I wasn't. Dumb little Nora."

"You are very intelligent though," said Elsa. "I can teach you to read, and other things... You could go far. Some day I bet you could be queen, and make a better ruler than any of them."

"Be queen of Faelentown? I never want to go back. They can have that place."

"Are you sure?" asked Elsa. "That's a lot to give up."

"I am sure. But Elsa?"

"Yes?"

Nora reached out, her fingers trembling in fear of what she was about to do, something braver than anything she had attempted before in her life. She laced her fingers through Elsa's, and Elsa didn't pull her hand back.

"You never have to be alone again." She glanced up at Elsa's face to see her reaction. Elsa blushed and looked away, but squeezed Nora's hand back. A warm feeling spread through Nora; a feeling she had never felt before. A feeling of love.


	6. Chapter 6

"I can't believe you did this!" said Elsa.

"Well I didn't know you'd be this upset!" said Anna. "I was going to tell you earlier but you were so against it and then you left and then it was awkward-"

"You shouldn't have arranged it at all." Elsa was fuming, and icicles were hanging from the ceiling, growing larger with every sentence she said.

"I'm sorry I'm sorry," said Anna nervously. "If you want I can tell him to go away..."

"No it's okay. I'll deal with him. I guess I have to, eventually."

It was only a few minutes later when there was a knock on the door and a young man named Adrian Foss was ushered in for tea with the queen. Anna had just explained to Elsa that he was a prince from a nearby kingdom that she'd forgotten the name of, since he was only one of five princes she had been in correspondence with.

"What a beautiful castle," said Adrian as they sat down at the table.

"Thank you," said Elsa. "I'm sure yours is lovely as well."

"So, the princess said that you had important matters to discuss?"

"Ah..." Elsa concentrated on not creating any more icicles. "How is the weather out where you are?"

"Well, we're merely a day's walk away, so it's pretty much the same as here."

"Oh, that makes sense."

There was an awkward pause. "So- may I call you Elsa?"

"Um..."

"You can call me Adrian."

"Okay, sure," Elsa wasn't sure if this was socially acceptable or not, since he was also a prince. If only she'd had more training in these matters.

"So Elsa," Adrian continued, "my father and I were wondering if you might be interested in trade between our two kingdoms."

"Oh, I don't know," said Elsa, trying to sound interested and not like she had no idea what she was doing. "What sort of things are you interested in trading?"

"Well my people make intricate ice carvings, but those are difficult to sell in the summertime because they melt. We thought you might be able to make them freeze permanently, like glass, so that they could be used all year long."

"Oh, I don't know if I can do that," said Elsa uncomfortably. She still wasn't used to everyone knowing about her powers.

"We know what you did with the snowman. It's probably something similar."

The plan sounded okay, but something was off... Of course! Trading went both ways. "So what do we get out of the deal?" she asked.

"Well, if you were to marry me, you would benefit from the deal as well, by joining our two kingdoms together."

"Oh!" said Elsa. "But we've only just met."

"Yes but it is clearly an ideal match," said Adrian. "We wouldn't even need to live togther. And I think you – or we, really – could make a lot of money by hosting ice shows."

"Ice shows, of... me?"

"Now you're getting it. Of course, we could throw in some ice sculptures as well, but I have a feeling you could do something more impressive. I've heard stories."

Elsa knew she needed to break this off and get him out of the castle before her anger got out of control. "Ah, well, I'll have to think about it I suppose. However I do have another appointment coming up that I need to attend to."

"Of course," said Adrian, standing up and possibly looking a little relieved to get out of there. He glanced up at the ice chandelier on the ceiling looking a little nervous, and Elsa realized that he was afraid of her and doing a very good job of hiding it. Definitely not the match for her.

"Thank you so much for your time," said Elsa, very much wanting him to leave.

"You're welcome," he said, walking out the door.

Elsa watched the doorway in disgust. She had invited him over, fed him, and then thanked him for coming, and all he could say was 'you're welcome'?

"So...?" asked Anna, walking in the doorway.

"You mean you weren't listening to the entire conversation?" asked Elsa, clearly upset.

"Um, no," said Anna, backing away a bit.

Elsa sighed. "It's not your fault; you wouldn't have known. He just wants to marry me so that he can use me."

"Oh I'm sorry," said Anna.

"He wanted to sell tickets to let people see my powers."

"Well on the bright side, no two people are alike," said Anna.

"Perhaps not, but they can be pretty similar. It's okay though, I'll go ahead and meet the others you've already arranged to visit."

"Actually, I was wondering if you could go down to the stables and thank Erik for all the hard work he's done lately."

"What?"

"He does a good job and is really dedicated to his work. I think you should meet him, inspire him to continue. He's on holiday with his family right now though, so you'll have to check in on him tomorrow."

"Um, okay, I guess I can do that." said Elsa.

"Anyway, Kristoff and I are going ice skating in a bit," said Anna cheerfully. Elsa had created an ice rink a little bit up the mountains, and it was one of Anna's favorite places to go. "Do you... I mean would you like to come?"

Elsa could sense that this was a big deal for Anna and Kristoff and that Anna was just being nice. "Oh no that's okay. You two go and have a good time."

Anna brightened. "Thanks so much! We might not be back until late so don't wait up for us for dinner."

"See you," said Elsa, as Anna ran off to find Kristoff and Sven.

Elsa suddenly felt very lonely. She stood by the doorway for a moment, thinking about what she was going to do for the rest of the day. Then she set off in search of the girl who had told her she never needed to be alone again.


	7. Chapter 7

A small note to my readers: It may be quite obvious by now, but just so you know there are some Frozen spoilers in this chapter. Also, thank you for the reviews! This may not be the most amazing fanfiction ever but it's nice to know that some people like it and want me to continue updating. :)

* * *

Nora was dutifully studying the letters and words with pictures that Elsa had drawn out for her. She had never had the opportunity to learn things from a teacher before and had been studying all morning and into the afternoon.

There was a knock on the door. Nora looked up in surprise. She was the only one in the room. Someone wanted to see her? Could it be Elsa?

She got up and ran to the door to open it. It was Elsa, and she looked a little bit distant.

"Hello," said Nora shyly.

"Hi Nora," said Elsa, still making no move to enter the room. Nora wondered why she was here.

"I've been practicing," said Nora.

"Oh that's good," said Elsa. "Are you understanding everything okay?"

"Yes," said Nora. There was a pause. "Elsa, do you need something? Do you want to come in?"

"Oh, I... sure," Elsa stepped into the room and Nora closed the door behind her. "I don't really know why I'm here," said Elsa. "Anna and Kristoff went out to go ice skating."

Nora sat on the bed and patted the spot beside her. Elsa came over and sat next to her. "What would you like to do?" asked Nora, as she had seen her sisters ask their playmates so many times before. But she was beyond the age of playmates, wasn't she?

"Do you want to see my ice palace?" asked Elsa.

"Sure," said Nora. Ice palace? What was that? "Although perhaps we could take some food with us?"

"Oh did you not eat?" asked Elsa.

"No but it's alright. Everyone was busy."

"Oh no, you can always help yourself in the kitchen while you're staying here. Come on, let's go get some food."

* * *

Once they had packed up a little picnic dinner and Nora had eaten a snack, they got a horse from the stables. Nora had never ridden before, but since she was fairly small Elsa decided that the horse could probably carry both of them.

Nora had the bag of food and a blanket in a bag on her back and was sitting behind Elsa. They had debated for a while what the best position was, since the man who worked in the stables was out and none of his assistants had helped saddle up a horse for two riders before. They'd suggested using a sled, but Elsa didn't think she could get a sled up to the castle.

"Go ahead and hold on to me tightly. Don't want to lose you," said Elsa.

Nora reached around and held onto Elsa with her bundled-up arms and mittened hands tightly so that her face was pressed up against the back of Elsa's coat. She had never been this close to someone before, and didn't know if Elsa had either. She could hear Elsa's rapid heartbeat and steady, strong breathing as they set off toward the mountains.

"This is a much longer trek than I remember," came Elsa's muffled voice after they had been under the snowy trees for some time. "I can't believe I walked all the way there on that day."

"What day?" asked Nora, eager to learn some of Elsa's backstory.

"My coronation. I lost control and the entire kingdom found out about my powers. They went after me and I ran. I ran all the way to the top of the mountain and made my ice palace, free at last. And then Anna came to tell me that I'd left Arendelle deep in snow, and I – "

"What happened?"

"I accidentally... I wanted her to leave and I just thrust out my hand and ice crystals shot out and one struck her in the heart. She froze solid while saving my life, but since it was an act of true love, it thawed her heart. And that's when I learned how to thaw snow. With love."

They came to a beautiful staircase made of ice. "What is love?" asked Nora, as they dismounted the horse and tied it up, leaving an apple for it to munch on.

Elsa turned and smiled at her, extending her gloved hand. Nora reached out and took it and Elsa led her up the stairs.

The castle was beautiful. Nora could sense that it meant a lot to Elsa and she felt as if Elsa was opening the doors to her soul when she opened the doors to the castle.

"Still unchanged," said Elsa, as she stepped inside. Nora followed her and was without words. Never before had ice been anything but a burden to her before. Ice was darkness and pain. But here, the ice was sparkling with light. And not just any light; the light was a calming blue color.

"I can change the color if you like," said Elsa, drawing Nora's attention away from the ceiling that was far, far away. Elsa looked a little nervous, as if she was anxious to see what Nora thought of the castle.

"No, no, this is good," said Nora. "It's beautiful."

Elsa brightened. "I'm so glad you like it! Would you like to see the upstairs?"

"Yes," said Nora, delighted to see Elsa looking happy and at peace. As they started up the stairs and Elsa began telling her what all the rooms were, she began to lose track of what Elsa was saying and instead focused on her facial expressions and the sound of her voice.

After a while, Nora realized that Elsa had stopped talking and was just staring at her, staring into her eyes. Nora wondered if the eyes really were the key to the soul, as she stared back, feeling as though she was being sucked into a vortex and yet learning nothing about Elsa. No soul window there.

"Do you –" Elsa's voice only half worked. "Do you want to eat dinner now?"

"That sounds nice," Nora smiled.

They were both hungry, so they ate in silence. When Nora finished, she gazed out the nearby window. "It's getting dark out."

"And cold," Elsa added, concerned. "Isn't it a bit early for it to be this dark?" She stood up and looked out the window. "I can't even see anything! It's a snow storm out there."

Nora walked closer to the window and squinted into the distance. Then she reached out her hand for a moment. "I made a shelter for the horse," she said.

"You can see him?"

"A little. I don't know. It's more like I can feel where he is."

"Wow," said Elsa. "That's impressive."

Nora smiled faintly. "It doesn't look like we'll be getting back tonight." She yawned. She hadn't slept much the previous night, since she'd been so absorbed in her studying.

"I've spent the night here before..." said Elsa, shivering slightly.

"Come on; I've got a blanket," said Nora, pulling it out of the bag. "I know the cold doesn't bother you, but I think you might sleep better if you're warm."

"You're probably right," said Elsa, though looking a bit nervous. "Can we both fit...?"

"Come here," said Nora, spreading out the blanket. "It's long enough for us to be on top of it and wrap it around us."

Elsa lay down on the blanket next to Nora, and Nora wrapped the ends around them, leaving one arm draped over Elsa's shoulder, stroking her hair, although her arm was shaking slightly from nerves. "You won't be alone this time," she said, beginning to drift off to sleep from her exhaustion.

She was surprised to hear Elsa's reply but too tired to respond when it came, "Neither will you."


	8. Chapter 8

As Elsa woke up, she slowly became aware of blue light filtering into the room and a hardness beneath her. Feelings of panic and isolation and loss began to flood her mind, until she realized that there was something warm pressing up against her back. Warm and breathing. She rolled over and placed a hand on Nora's back as memories of the previous night came back to her.

Nora rolled over to face her. "Good morning Elsa," she said, her voice scratchy and not warmed up yet.

Elsa smiled in relief. All was well in the world again. Her home and her sister were waiting for her, and just for now, she could lie here, at peace, with a friend. Then she remembered that Anna had told her to go talk to the man who worked in the stables.

Nora coughed to clear her throat and stretched an arm out.

"So I guess we should head back," said Elsa.

Nora's arm dropped. "So soon?"

"Anna will be worried," said Elsa with a sigh.

"Alright," said Nora, getting up and pulling the blanket as Elsa rolled off it. She folded it and stuck it in her bag, then waited for Elsa to get up. Elsa got up slowly, rubbing her arms. Why was she so cold? Usually the ice didn't bother her at all... "Are you okay?" asked Nora.

"Yes, I'm just... cold." Elsa met Nora's gaze. Nora stretched out an arm toward her and Elsa gladly huddled next to her, trying to warm up as Nora rubbed her back.

"We'd better get you back to the castle," said Nora. Elsa nodded, beginning to shiver.

* * *

Luckily, their horse was still where they had left it, and had been sheltered from the storm. The ride back to the castle of Arendelle did not feel as long as the ride to the ice castle had been, perhaps because they were going downhill and the horse was eager to reach the warm stable and food supply waiting for him. Nora held onto Elsa tightly, and Elsa was glad for the warmth.

When they got back to the castle, Nora took the horse to the stable while Elsa went inside to find warmer clothing. Anna was waiting just inside the doors of the castle, looking worried.

"Where were you!?" Anna asked.

"I was out at the ice castle and the storm prevented me from coming back last night," said Elsa, walking past her, on a single mission to find a sweater. She was still shivering. Anna walked with her.

"Why did you go out there?"

"I wanted to show it to Nora."

"So you two just spent the night there, in a building made of ice? Weren't you cold?"

"That is why I'm getting a sweater," said Elsa, who had just reached the closet.

"Elsa, there's something else I wanted to discuss with you."

"What is it?"

"I think it's really great how you're doing all this and being so kind to Nora since Kristoff brought her here. I know it wasn't easy for you to just take someone in like that. But it's been several days now, and I thought originally this was just a one-night thing. I've found her another home to go to. There are some nice people in the village willing to take her in."

Elsa was silent for a moment. "You mean... send her away? Why?"

"Well I mean, if you wanted, we could turn this place into an orphanage... I guess... I mean we have rooms. I guess we have money, too. It's just, once you take in one orphaned child you're going to end up with all of them."

"Nora isn't a child," said Elsa. "She's older than you. And I don't think we need to send her away yet."

"Oh," said Anna, taking a step back. "I'm sorry. I didn't realize she was that old. But even still, shouldn't she be going out and living her own life? You should at least tell her we can help her start a new life here."

"Alright, I will." But for some reason, she didn't want to. Shouldn't she want what was best for Nora? If she was living in Arendelle, she wouldn't be that far away, and they could still be friends. But even now, after only being apart for a few minutes, Elsa wanted to go find Nora. Elsa sighed. She had other things she had promised to do.

* * *

Armed with warmer clothing, Elsa walked out to the stables, where she saw several people taking care of the horses. Nora was nowhere to be seen. Elsa realized that part of her had been hoping that Nora would still be outside.

The people in the stables were staring at her in surprise, clearly not expecting the queen to visit again when she had just gotten back from a journey. A man she didn't recognize stepped forward. "Your highness," he said, bowing. "I am Erik. How can I help you?"

"Actually, I came down here to thank you," said Elsa nervously, suddenly not sure how to talk normally.

"Thank me?"

"Yes. You've been doing a really great job lately. The stable is in good shape and the horses seem healthy and happy." Elsa hoped all of this was correct, since other than a few experiences riding horses, she lacked in knowledge of their health and stable conditions.

"Did Anna tell you to say that?"

Elsa froze. "I... uh..."

Erik smiled warmly. "I asked her to put in a good word for me. Didn't realize she'd ask you to come all the way out here to visit. I'm a really big fan of yours, though."

"Oh, um, thank you," said Elsa, biting her lip.

"You know, um," said Erik, "my gran made me these honey muffins for me... Would you like one?"

"Oh, no need to trouble yourself," said Elsa, taking a step back. "I won't bother you anymore." She hesitated as Erik looked a little bit hurt.

"No but please, she would be honored to know that the queen tried one of her muffins," he said, holding one out to her.

"Well alright," said Elsa, accepting it and taking a bite. She grinned. "You can tell your gran that the queen thinks her honey muffins are delicious."

"Oh thank you, she'll be so pleased." Erik smiled. "Well I won't keep you any longer, but please do feel free to visit any time."

"I will," said Elsa, smiling, then she walked back to the castle, where Anna was mysteriously hanging about again.

"So?" said Anna.

"So what?" said Elsa, trying not to sound too annoyed. "You just made all that up to get me to talk to him because he's a big fan of me?"

"Well I didn't make it all up," said Anna. "He really is doing a good job. But I mean... how did it go?"

"I don't know. I mean he's nice. He gave me this honey muffin his grandma made. Do you want it?"

"No, no, you have it," said Anna. "So he's nice?"

"Yes," said Elsa, realization beginning to dawn on her. "Wait, you realize he's not a prince right?"

"Well I was thinking, if you were to marry someone from the village, it might bring out a sense of togetherness, like we're all one. It would certainly make you more popular with the people."

"They don't like me?" The thought didn't surprise Elsa, but it made her sad.

"They do, they do! I just thought it would make it seem like you're not so... distant. That you're one of us. I mean, one of them. One of the people in this town."

"One of you," said Elsa softly. "I don't know. It's a valid point. I'll have to think about it." Then she turned and walked down the hallway, leaving the muffin abandoned on the table.


	9. Chapter 9

Nora was sitting in her room, looking over her notes on letters and words, wondering what was going to happen now. She had a dream of maybe living out in that ice castle, or maybe making her own. Last night had been one of the best in her life, but she had a sinking feeling it might never happen again.

She sighed and flopped onto her bed. It was just a fluke. Just one bad snowstorm that trapped them in an icy place where they had to make due. Of course, Nora could always create another snowstorm, maybe. She'd never tried it before, but it seemed reasonable.

But then, if Nora had the power to make a snowstorm, didn't she also have the power to stop a snowstorm? Did Elsa have that power, and just didn't use it?

It was one spark of hope that she knew she must crush. She didn't know if she could handle a heartbreak after one glimpse of what might have been happiness.

There were footsteps in the hall. Nora practically leapt off her bed and stood in the doorway to her room as Elsa rounded the corner. She seemed to be deep in thought and jumped when she saw Nora standing there.

"Nora," she said, looking a little lost.

"Are you okay?"

Elsa didn't answer Nora at first, and Nora felt like Elsa's gaze was perhaps going through her. Her stomach clenched as she wondered if Elsa was here to tell her that her time was up, it was time for her to move. After all, there was no reason anyone needed to host Nora, and she was beginning to learn that things cost money, including her food and clothing and even the roof over her head.

Finally, Elsa seemed to come back into the present. "Am I...? Yes. But I wanted to talk to you about something.

Nora bit her lip and waited.

"Can I... come in?"

Nora realized she was standing in the way and stood off to the side. Elsa came in and remained standing.

"I..." said Elsa, "Anna and I just wanted to let you know, that if you would like to start your own life here in Arendelle, we would be willing to help you. Um... There's also a family that's willing to take you in if you... if you want."

This sounded like a generous offer to Nora, but she could feel her heart breaking inside her. "Do you want me to leave?" she finally asked, her voice slightly above a whisper.

"I only want what's best for you," said Elsa, sounding like she was repeating a well-rehearsed speech. "You wouldn't be that far away. You could still visit."

"Yes, but," Nora could feel a tear forming in the corner of her eye, "do _you_ want me to leave?" The tear escaped and ran down her face, bathing her in shame that she couldn't be stronger.

"Oh, Nora..." Elsa's eyes widened and she reached out, then hesitated. Nora bridged the gap and held onto Elsa tightly, as she felt Elsa's arms wrap around her. "No," said Elsa. "No, I don't want you to leave. I don't want to trap you here, or keep you from reaching your goals and your destiny, but I don't want you to ever leave... me. And, I remember what you said, and I want you to know that you never have to be alone again, either."

Nora smiled through her tears, her head resting on Elsa's shoulder. "Just... don't let go," she whispered.

* * *

A long time later, because every embrace must end at some point, Nora and Elsa sat on Nora's bed, leaning back against all the pillows with their fingers intertwined as if not even the strongest iron could break them apart.

"Anna keeps trying to marry me off," said Elsa. "First she wanted me to marry a prince from another kingdom to bring our kingdoms together. And then she wanted me to marry the stable boy because it would unite us with the people, like we're just like them or something."

Nora shifted uncomfortably. "Do you like either of them?"

"Well I mean, Erik – the stable boy – he was pretty nice, I guess."

"Did you get butterflies in your stomach?" asked Nora.

"Butterflies? I guess not... Should I have?"

Nora leaned over, so close she could feel the warmth radiating from Elsa, and kissed her on the cheek. "Butterflies?" she asked.

"I... I don't know..." Elsa seemed to be somewhat in a state of shock. Her fingers loosened, but Nora didn't let go.

"Technically I am a princess," said Nora nervously. "Princess of Faelentown. That is, unless they can take away that title which was given to me by blood. Do you know if they can do that?"

"...I don't think so?" said Elsa, her voice slightly breathless.

Nora looked up at her, and their eyes locked together. Elsa's cheeks were red. "I think I'd... better go think some things over," said Elsa.

"Alright," said Nora, letting go of her hand, her heart sinking a little but still hanging on to a thread of hope. Elsa slid off the bed and glanced back once, as if she were going to say something, then closed her mouth and left the room.


	10. Chapter 10

A small note: Sorry this update took so long! (and also I'm not entirely happy with this chapter) I hit writer's block for a while and got distracted first by making some fan art and then by another story I started writing. But I do have some more ideas for where this story is going. :)

* * *

Elsa wasn't sure if she was shocked, afraid, or possibly relieved. She was wandering around the castle trying to make sense of her thoughts when she came across Anna, who was apparently painting a mural on the wall.

"Hello," said Anna without turning around.

"That's really pretty, Anna" said Elsa, leaning against the doorway.

"Thank you. A friend of mine showed me some techniques to try. One of the princesses who came to your coronation."

Elsa watched Anna paint for a while, then Anna asked, "Was there something you wanted to talk about?"

"I was just wondering, how do you know if something is true love?"

"If it breaks a curse, for sure," said Anna.

Elsa created a small snowflake in her hands. Were her powers a curse?

"But you had true love," she said, looking up at Anna, "and that was for me. But it's not the same as what's between you and Kristoff, is it?"

Anna's paintbrush faltered. "Well I mean, Kristoff and I are dating. We're not going to do the true love at first sight thing and get married. He doesn't even know if he wants to be married, ever. He likes being able to wander and doesn't know if he's ready to come home." She sighed.

"If you had true love, do you think he would want to marry you?"

"Maybe," said Anna. "But just because you have true love doesn't mean that marriage will work, or so Kristoff says. He says that loving someone whenever you see them is different from loving someone when you live with them all the time."

"I can see that," said Elsa, although she was thinking about how she wanted Nora to stay there and never leave her again. She wondered how long that feeling would last.

"So like, maybe with Erik you could hang out for a while to see if you get along before thinking too much about love. But I could totally see it working out."

Elsa stared at Anna's back long enough for Anna to stop painting and turn around to see if Elsa was still there.

"I mean, that is why you're discussing love, isn't it?" asked Anna. "Who else could it be?"

"I..." Elsa was suddenly cautious. "Wait, when did you get all expert-y on love? Is it a thing that happens when you start dating?" Elsa realized that it hadn't been too long since Anna had been willing to marry someone right after meeting them. And here she was asking her younger sister for advice.

Anna blushed and turned back to her painting. "Well I mean, after Hans I started thinking about these things more. And Kristoff and I talk about it some times."

She was so grown-up, now. Elsa pondered her words. Talking to people about intangible feelings and aspects of a relationship – would that strengthen a bond or destroy it? It was worth considering.

"Wait, you changed the subject," Anna realized suddenly, then she shrugged. "Whatever, I guess it's your business. But I did want to ask – did you talk to Nora about possibilities of moving out?"

"I did," said Elsa. "I don't think she wants to move out."

"Oh," said Anna. "Do you want me to talk to her?"

There was a pause. "I don't want her to move out," said Elsa. She felt lost, as if she were standing on the edge of a void, ready to tip over at any moment and fall forever.

"Oh. Okay then. I mean, you are the queen." Anna looked over her shoulder at Elsa. "Are you alright?"

Elsa sorted through the complexities of her mind, trying to string together words. "Why do we define love so strictly?" she asked.

"What do you mean?" said Anna.

"Say I said I loved Erik and Nora. We would say that I cared for Erik, and I cared about Nora."

"I suppose," said Anna, clearly struggling to follow. "But I got the impression you weren't particularly interested in Erik...?"

"But what if I said," Elsa's gaze locked on to Anna's, "that it was the other way around? What would you say to that?"

Anna stared blankly, as if thinking, and Elsa imagined that she was trying to go back to the previous statement and solve it like a puzzle. Elsa couldn't stand there and wait for Anna's reaction, so she turned and walked, then half-ran back to Nora's room. She didn't have the presence of mind to knock before entering, but Nora was waiting for her.

"Are you alright?" asked Nora.

"I think..." said Elsa, "I think I love you. But I've never felt like this before, not about my parents, or my sister, or... And I don't know. I don't know anything." She shook her head, sinking down to the floor.

Nora slid off the bed to sit beside her, to hold her.

"Conceal, don't feel," whispered Elsa, staring at nothing.

"You don't need to hide from me," whispered Nora. "And I love you too."


	11. Chapter 11

Nora rubbed Elsa's back as she waited for her to say something. She could wait all day in this position. So many days spent watching the love around her and never touching it. Now she was holding it.

Finally, Elsa took a shuddering breath and said, "Do you think we should run?"

"Run?" asked Nora. Out of all the possible reactions she had imagined, this was not one of them. "Run where? From what?"

"I don't know about... this kind of thing. You know, usually it's a boy and a girl. I don't know how people will react."

"Why? Why would it matter that both of us are girls?"

"I don't know. It's just, first my powers, then I spring this on them. What do you think will happen?"

"Do you know your people?"

"I guess not."

"Me neither," said Nora, thinking a bit further, "but they're not mine to claim... I guess the real question is, do they respect you?"

"Respect, fear maybe..." said Elsa.

"Well then, even if they think it's crazy, they won't kick you out."

"I don't know," said Elsa. "I would feel safer in my ice palace, I guess."

"Then make this place your ice palace. But don't let the thought of what they might do scare you away."

"When did you become so brave and... wise?"

"I think it was when I met you. This is the first time that I don't... I don't have to be a shadow. I feel alive, like I could do anything."

"And if they hate us?"

"We can deal with hate. We've always had to, right?" Nora made a small snowflake in the palm of her hand and showed it to Elsa. Elsa put her hand over Nora's and the snowflake melted, dripping over the sides of Nora's hand and onto Elsa's knee.

"True love melts frozen hearts," said Elsa softly.

"Your heart is far from frozen," said Nora, running her fingers through Elsa's hair. "You showed me what love is."

"I guess I have to see how Anna reacts first. She still doesn't know about your powers, either."

"Do you think we should tell her?"

"How should we?"

"Let's go together," said Nora, standing up and pulling Elsa to her feet. "She barely knows me anyway."

"She was painting a mural either. Let's go see if she's still there," said Elsa.

Nora acted brave, but inside she was terrified. What if she split the relationship between Elsa and her sister? What if she got Elsa exiled? What if Elsa changed her mind and left her? The last one, however, she didn't think of as a real possibility. She knew that Elsa had the same gaping hold in her life that Nora had. They needed each other.

Finally, they reached the room where Anna had been painting on the wall. She was still standing there, paint dripping off her paintbrush onto her boot as she stared into space.

"Hi," said Elsa, jolting her out of her thoughts.

"H-hi," said Anna, hastily setting down her supplies and stepping in a splatter of blue paint on the floor without noticing. "So um, hi." She looked down at Elsa and Nora's hands, and Nora realized their fingers were still interlaced. "Are you- so are you- two- " She made a gesture, pointing from one to the other and looking vaguely confused.

"Is that okay with you?" asked Elsa, speaking quickly and betraying her nerves. "I mean, not that it matters what you think – I mean of course it matters, but-"

"I love Elsa," said Nora, interrupting her and taking the opportunity to lean her head on Elsa's shoulder, wondering if Elsa was blushing. "I come from a life where I was told that I was wrong, where I never knew love, and then I cam here, and Elsa showed me what love is, and... we are the same."

"Oh," said Anna, brushing a hair away from her face as she digested the information. "That's beautiful. But what do you mean, the same...? The same gender?"

"No, I mean – well yes, but what I mean is," she twirled a finger and snow began to fall from the ceiling.

"Oh!" said Anna. "I see."

"I don't really see how gender has anything to do with anything though," added Nora.

"Well, I... I suppose not," said Anna.

"See?" Nora said, looking up at Elsa. "I told you she wouldn't kick us out." Elsa was definitely blushing at this point.

"Kick you out!?" Anna asked. "Never! I was just surprised, that's all. But I'm glad you're not alone anymore. Either of you. Um, also, I was thinking as soon as Kristoff gets back – which should be any moment now – we could all go have waffles and hot chocolate. Does that... Would that be okay with you? Or do you have... other plans?"

Nora watched as Elsa blushed even more. "No, that sounds good," Nora answered. "I've never had waffles and hot chocolate before."

Anna's eyes got wide. "Never!?"

"No," Nora shook her head.

"We must remedy that," said Anna. "I hear Kristoff! I'll go let him know. Is it okay if I tell him... everything?"

Elsa looked at Nora. Nora nodded.

"Great," said Anna. "I'll see you in a few minutes in the dining room." She hurried off toward the front door, tracking blue paint as she went.

"I bet the servants are going to love cleaning that up," said Nora.

"I'll tell them not to bother. This place could use some color in it," said Elsa.

Nora laughed. "So um, what are waffles?"

"You'll see," said Elsa. "Oh and by the way, thank you."

"You're welcome," Nora kissed her on the cheek. "You look beautiful, by the way."

"You know," said Elsa, "Maybe we should invite your family over some time, just so they can see what a gorgeous princess they lost forever to the clutches of the evil snow queen."

Nora laughed. "I'd love to see that. Anyway, we'd better go find Anna and Kristoff." Nora could feel that this was just the first of a series of changes as they walked to the dining hall, and she wondered just how far those changes would reach.

* * *

Author's note - So, there's about a 40% chance this is the end of the story (especially as I'm going back to school next week + starting my first job), but also a 60% chance that I'm going to continue this with some other ideas I've been playing with. Let me know what you think! :)


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